“Can I text you?”

That’s what I’ve been hearing more and more over the last few months.  The reason why might not be what you expect.  There’s a new trend floating around the tech and business worlds, and it only makes sense that this one will be here to stay.

Businesses spend loads of time and money furthering relationships with their customer base.  For most, these resources are funneled into getting consumers to their website.  The majority of consumers view these websites from their mobile smart phones. Consumers also prefer the text message over any other form of communication.

So…

I’m a consumer.  I’m interested in what you do, and have a quick question.  I want to get in contact with your business.  I’m viewing your website from my phone.  And I prefer text messaging over calling, emailing, or showing up in person.

Can I text your business?

Thankfully, the good people at Text Request have connected these dots.  They’ve created an online texting platform that allows personalized back-and-forth text conversations between an individual and the business of their choice.  For businesses it’s similar to logging into Facebook and chatting with your best friends.  For the individual, it’s the same as texting anyone else.  Your business, in every customer’s pocket.

Other groups have created similar programs.  The idea is, of course, not entirely new.  Automated systems exist where massive groups can be blasted with the same “alert,” and where a person can reply “C” or “R” to confirm or reschedule an appointment.  here are also some app-based systems that allow for mutual users to communicate back-and-forth.  Where Text Request differs, however, is in using the combination of personal touch and convenience inherent in text messaging to establish and improve relationships between consumers and the businesses they use.  If I’m interested in a friend, I’ll text them to see how they are, what they’re up to, etc.  Likewise, if I’m interested in a company, what deals they have, how they function, I can now text them.

Why speedy and personalized communication matters:

You may be familiar with the popular Talk.To study on hold times. According to their 2013 study, over 80% of people are put on hold every time they call a business.  That’s ridiculous.  A study by Google in 2012 reported that organizations who place potential customers on hold will lose 32% of those potential customers, simply because people do not want to wait.  That’s huge!  Your company loses 1/3 of its potential customers because you’re unable to pick up the phone in a thirty second time span! (That same study showed organizations would lose an additional 58% of potential customers if they had to wait on hold for more that 5 minutes.) So, if over 80% of people who want to do business with you are put on hold, and 32% of those don’t wait, you lose over 25% of your business potential (32% of 80%).  Now multiply that over how many years you’ve been in business, and remember, you’re losing people who tried to use you!

Hurts, doesn’t it?

How often people actually text:

Text Request is not a text messaging marketing tool, nor are those companies similar to them.  However, text message marketing has become a powerful tool, and here’s why.  In the U.S., 6.3 billion texts are sent every day.  That totals 2.27 trillion text messages that are sent per year in the U.S. alone!

22% of emails are opened.  This doesn’t sound terrible until you compare it to text messages, 98% of which are opened.  By texting with individuals instead of emailing them, you increase your message’s exposure by 445%!  This means that by allowing people to text your business, and by communicating with those customers via text messaging, your message will be opened and read nearly 100% of the time.

In the same way individuals further friendships, by texting back-and-forth with your customer base, you’re engaging them in a very personal way – meaning you’re creating a lasting investment. In addition, if I’m texting someone, I’m much more likely to save that number in my phone than if I’m calling.

The convenience of text messaging:

I recently moved.  Anyone who has understands that it’s difficult to manage working full time, packing, finding a new place to live, and (for some) taking care of kids.  Who has time to sit down and talk between 7am and 10pm?  We all know how convenient it is to send a text between meetings, on the go, during meetings, while you’re physically talking to someone else, and in every other situation that exists.  If I know I can openly text a person, I’m much more likely to interact and reach out to them.  By the same token, I’m much more likely to interact and reach out to your organization if I’m able to reach them whenever.

There’s also a very interesting set of assumptions with text messaging.  Everyone understands it as more convenient and easier than talking on the phone or emailing.  It’s also used for instantaneous messaging.  But what’s interesting is the assumption with texting that, unlike a phone call, the message does not have to be answered at that very moment.  Sometimes there’s urgency in a message, but most often there’s a mutual understanding that if you can not reply right away, it’s okay.  If I have a quick question for someone, it most likely does not have to be resolved before I can do anything else with my day.  I send a quick text and move on.

What blows my mind is that text messaging is over twenty years old, and we’re only now utilizing it in this way.

What Text Request is:

Text Request is an online platform that allows for a back-and-forth conversation between a business and an individual.  On the business’s side, it’s exactly the same as using an instant messaging (IM) chat room – just like logging into Facebook – and can be managed from any computer, tablet, or smart phone.  For the individual, it is merely sending a text message.

With Text Request, messages are arranged according to whether they’ve been answered.  You can save contacts as you would in a cell phone.  You can have an away message (automatic response), and have messages forwarded to your personal cell phone.  All interactions are saved on the cloud, so every message sent and received is on file for record and accountability.  Another plus is that it’s much cheaper and easier (for business and consumer) to implement than other similar two-way texting systems.

In sum, it’s safe to say that the majority of people are using their smart phones to surf the web.  Everybody prefers to text over any other form of communication.  Texting is also the most efficient way to build relationships with others while managing the plethora of other daily duties.

So…

Can I text you?

—–

Kenneth D. Burke